The Beginner’s Guide To Selling Photography Prints
If you’re looking for ways to take your passion for photography to the next level, consider making a business out of it. This process can seem daunting at first, but you can break it down step-by-step with this beginner’s guide to selling photography prints. Keep reading to learn how to turn your passion for photography into a source of income.
Build Your Photography Following
The first step to selling your photography prints is to build an audience for your work. Having a group of people who are already interested in viewing or even purchasing your work can help tremendously when it comes to establishing your first sales. One of the best ways to build your audience is to start posting your photographs on social media. Follow photography trends and tags to encourage your work to show up on more viewers’ feeds. Most social media platform algorithms thrive on consistency, so post your work as often as you can. As you start to grow your social media following, some of your fans may start to ask about buying prints or where they can support your work. Answering these questions provides the perfect opportunity to market your physical or digital prints.
Choose Your Best, Favorite Images
Once you have more engagement with your photography and posts online, you’ll get an idea of which images are more likely to sell. Choose photographs that your audience resonates with the most or ones that are most relevant. However, just because something isn’t popular doesn’t mean it won’t sell. If you’re passionate about certain images that didn’t receive high engagement at the time, try printing a few of them to start and promote them to your audience. You’re bound to find a following for any of your favorite images with the right promotion.
How To Sell Your Photography Prints Online
Now that you have built an interest in specific prints, and you know selling them will be worth the investment, you can take the following steps to sell your prints online.
Set Up a Website
The first step to selling your photo prints online is to choose a website-building platform where you can display your photographs and offer print ordering. If you’re ready to take on the bulk of the web design and shipping responsibilities, you could create a shop using Shopify. Other platforms, such as Etsy, make it easy to set up your shop and leave the final steps, such as shipping, to you. Other hosting platforms can print and ship your photographs for you, but you won’t have as much control over the print quality and these services often take a sizeable cut of your profits.
Source Your Photography Prints
You’ll need a place to source your prints to sell your prints online. Choose a professional photography printing service to ensure you offer your customers high-quality prints. For example, at The Stackhouse, we offer giclee printing services to provide stunning copies for our clients and their customers.
Print-on-demand and drop shipping services are also available, and they can handle the printing and shipping process for you. If using these methods, you may want to request samples of your work so you can verify the quality of the prints. Always work with a trusted printer to ensure your customers receive images that are as crisp and clear as the ones they see online.
If you’re looking for even more flexibility with your photography business, you can also offer digital prints in the form of an image download. Digital prints are often much cheaper than physical copies, so they are ideal for selling alongside printed copies.
How To Sell Your Photography Prints Offline
If you’re not interested in offering your photography prints online, or you would prefer to use a combination of methods, you can sell your prints offline in various ways. Here are some tips for selling your prints at in-person events and locations.
Source Your Photography Prints
Sourcing your photography prints first is crucial when selling them in person. This step ensures you’ll have plenty of stock when you attend local events. Some venues, such as art galleries, may ask to see examples of your work upfront, so it’s important to have your prints ready. Finding a high-quality, professional printer is even more important for making in-person sales because your audience can see the copy before they purchase it. Print quality is crucial to making your sales, so choose a high-quality printer, such as The Stackhouse.
Find a Place To Sell Your Work
You can sell your photographs in many locations. Browse your community newsletter to see if there are any upcoming craft fairs or art shows where you can set up a table. You can also see if any shops in your area work with local artists to sell artwork and prints. Finally, find an art gallery or photography exhibition and see if they are taking applications for artists. These events often allow photographers to sell copies of their work directly to attendees during the event.
Even if you mainly sell your photography prints online, attending in-person events like these can help you better connect with your customers and audience. You’ll also be able to market your brand and encourage more people to check out your work or follow your accounts on social media.
Market Your Photography Prints
Remember to market your photography business, whether you choose to sell your photography prints online, in person, or a combination of these methods. Marketing is crucial to growing your audience and promoting your new photographs and products. Consider adding a newsletter to your website or social media pages where your followers can sign up to learn more about your recent work and more. Social media is one of the best ways to market your photography business and promote more engagement and interest in your work.
If you’re looking for ways to evolve your passion for photography, follow this beginner’s guide to selling photography prints. With the tips above, you can turn your favorite hobby into a side hustle or even your main source of income. And if you need a reliable source for your high-quality photography prints, browse our selection of printing options at The Stackhouse. We can provide professional copies of your favorite photographs, so you have all the prints you need to meet demands.